Nubian In the Old Days

For unjustifiable reasons Nubian Civilization has been overlooked in favor
of the another Great Egyptian Civilization. Respectivelly all findings in
the past have been attributed to Egypt, while Egypt's High Dam made it
impossible for current excavations. More than 100 of Nubian villages in
(most of them in Sudan )with all monuments,tombs,temples were flooded by
the waters of Nasser Lake after the construction of this High dam. Very
few monuments (only 4)of Nubia of Sudan were saved during an international
campaign by world community to salvage Nubian Culture, while 20 or more
were saved from the Egyptian Monuments during the same campaign.

Upper Nubia,Lower Nubia,Kash,Land of Kush,Land of the
bow,Wawat,Te-Seti,Te-Nehesy,Nubadae,Napata, Kingdoem of Meroei..and more.
All refer to 'The Greatest African Civilization"of Nubia . Nubia an 800 km
of land along the Nile river , bounded by the First Catract of the River
Nile south of Aswan(Egypt) and the Six Catract South of Khartoum (capital
of Sudan). Except for a very small strip of land along the Nile north of
Sudan all Nubia land is in Sudan. Respectivelly Sudan is the Homeland of
this Great Civilization of Africa.

This Great Civilization has been dealt with great unfairness and
intentional negligence. Recently the awareness towards Nubia started
growing rapidly among
Scholars,archaeologists,Nubian,African,African-Arabs,African-Americans ,Disaparos
and several Museums in America and Europe . Several missions and
Institutes are carrying on excavations in Sudan to shed more light on this
great Nubia...However still most of the findings are being attributed to
Egypt and Egyptology The chances that this Great African Civilization
might be overlooked again is prevailing , if we take in consideration the
economical and other difficulties in Sudan. It is the role of all Africans
African-Arabs,African-Americans ,Disaparo and the international community
to initiate another Salvage Campaign of the Nubian Civilization. This time
not to save it from inundation by water but from inundation by negligence
and being overlooked again.

-quote-
To the ancient Mediterranean world, the land south of Egypt was a territory of
mystery and legend. Wealth and exotic products came from there. It was the home
of the Ethiopians, whom Homer called blameless and stories about its great
achievements endured to tantalize the modern world. This land, which now
includes Nubia, is a land of enormous distances, and its exploration was long
impeded by problems of transport and political unrest. In the last hundred
years, Nubia has slowly yielded its secrets, its vanished peoples, abandoned
cities and lost kingdoms brought to light by the excavator and copyist of
inscriptions. This exhibit is a selection of objects recovered over twenty years
ago by the Oriental Institute Nubian Expedition in the effort to rescue
archaeology from the rising water behind the Aswan Dam.The land of Nubia is a
desert divided by the river Nile. For want of water and rich soil, most of Nubia
has never been able to support a large population for long periods. However,
some of Africa's greatest civilizations emerged here, centers of achievement
whose existence was based on industry and trade. Because they did not write
their own languages until very late in ancient times, we know these centers and
their people largely through their archaeology and what the Egyptians and Greeks
said about them.
-unquote-

for more on this ,please see
http://www-oi.uchicago.edu/OI/PROJ/NUB/NUBX/NUBX_brochure.html

NUBIA THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLE
(From ORIENTAL INSTITUTE MUSEUM-1992 EXHIBITION: BROCHURE)

-quote-
Nubia is located in today's southern Egypt and northern Sudan. This land has one
of the harshest climates in the world. The temperatures are high throughout most
of the year, and rainfall is infrequent. The banks of the Nileare narrow in much
of Nubia, making farming difficult. Yet, in antiquity, Nubia was a land of great
natural wealth,of gold mines, ebony, ivory and incense which was always prized
by her neighbors.Nubia is the homeland of Africa's earliest black culture with a
history which can be traced from 3100 B.C.onward through Nubian monuments and
artifacts, as well as written records from Egypt and Rome.
- unquote-

for more on this ,please see
http://www-oi.uchicago.edu/OI/PROJ/NUB/NUBX92/NUBX92_brochure.html

-quote-
The exhibition places ancient Nubians and their civilization in a new historical
context, offering visitors a compelling well-founded perspective on this
little-known African civilization. "Nubians in the Bronze Age, from about 3100
BC to 1000 BC, are usually thought of as divided into small chiefdoms, with the
partial exception of the Kingdom of Kush in the Middle Bronze Age. However,
recent research suggests that large kingdoms arose in Nubia much earlier than is
generally thought. Over the centuries Nubians and Egyptians competed for power
and advantage throughout the vast Lower Nile region, from the Mediterranean Sea
south to the Sixth Cataract in the Sudan. Powerful and centrally organized early
Nubians are truly Egypt's rivals in Africa" states Dr. David O'Connor, curator
of the exhibition.
- unquote-

for more on this ,please visit
http://www.umich.edu/~kelseydb/Exhibits/AncientNubia/AncientNubiaPressRelease.html

Precious Metals and Stone. Egyptian interests in Nubia were always driven by
economics. The one factor that chiefly characterized Egypt's relationship with
Nubia through most of their history was exploitation. Nubia's most important
resource for Egypt was precious metal, including gold and electrum. The gold
mines of Nubia were located in certain valleys and mountains on either side of
the Nile River, although the most important mining center was located in the
Wadi Allaqi. That valley extended eastward into the mountains near Qubban (about
107 km. south of Elephantine). Nubia was also an important source of valuable
hard stone and copper, both of which were necessary for Egypt's monumental
building projects.

Trading in African Goods. Especially important for Egypt was that Nubia was also
a corridor to central Africa and a point for the trans-shipment of exotic goods
from that region, including: frankincense, myrrh, "green gold," ivory, ebony and
other exotic woods, precious oils, resins and gums, panther and leopard skins,
monkeys, dogs, giraffes, ostrich feathers and eggs, as well as pygmies (who
became important to Egyptian religious rituals). In the Old Kingdom, the
Egyptians regularly penetrated as far as the Second Cataract to barter for these
products which were coming down through the upper Nile Valley (viz., the
expeditions of Harkhuf, Hekayib, Mekhu and Sabni).

Manpower. Nubia was also an important source of manpower and labor for the
Egyptians. The Palermo Stone records that early in the Fourth Dynasty, King
Snefru led a military campaign into Nubia reputedly to crush a "revolt" there
(the Egyptians considered all enemies--whether foreign or domestic--as "rebels"
against the natural order). According to that text, he captured 200,000 head of
cattle and 7,000 prisoners, all of whom were deported to Egypt as laborers on
royal building projects. While some archaeologists argue that this campaign was
limited to Lower Nubia, others note that the amount of 7,000 is rather high for
a country that was fairly depopulated at the time. If the number was not
inflated as royal propaganda, then Snefru could have penetrated into Upper Nubia
as far as the Land of Yam and made his conquests there. - unquote-

for more on this ,please see

http://www.library.nwu.edu/class/history/B94/nubecon.html

---------------

CHRONOLOGY OF BISHOPS OF FARAS
by S.Jakobielski
From: Kazimierz Michalowski book "FARAS"

I. AETIOS
Episcopte: in twenties--thirties of the 7th century. First known Rishup of
Pskhoras; possibly the builder of the First Cathedral Church. Contrmpornry ruler
of Nubia: unknown.

2. SARAPION

3.. ...?
Period of the episcupales: mid-7th century. Coiltemporary ruler of Doneola:
Qalidurut. Main evets: Arab raids on Dongola in 611 and 65112. During this lilne
possibly the First Cathedral at Faras destroyed. Signin~g of the Baqt with
Arabs.

4. PILATOS
Episcopate: 2nd half of the 7th century. Buildcr of the Great
Church ar Fanras to replace the destroyed Cathedral.

5.PAULOS
Monophysite bishop. Episcopate: end of 7th and beginning of 8thcentury; d. in
709 or 719. Responsible for the great building activity in Pakhoras; founder of
the rebuilt Cathedral in 7. Beginning (?) of violet style murals. Contemporary
ruler: King Merkurios (697 until 710 at the earliest). Main events: Unification
of Nobadia and Makuria. Adoption of onophysite faith as the Nubian state
religion. Establishing (?) of the post of Eparch (governor of Nobadia)--Markos,
first known eparch's name attested in Faras.

21. PETROS (I)
Monophysite, Metropolitan Bishop. Episcopate: 974-999 (in charge of the
Cathedral until Autumn 997 only); d. 20 July 999, aged 93; Buried at the Church
on South Slope of the Kom. Decoration of the Cathedral with new murals: red and
multicoloured style. Dispute between Melchites and Mono physites over the
diocese of Faras. In the result the Cathedral is taken over by the Melchites.
Contemporary ruler: Georgios II (c. 969--until 979 or 1003). Main events:
Peaceful elations with Egypt under the Fatimide rule.

22. IOANNES (III)
Melchite Bishop. Episcopate: 997-1005; d. 21 September l005, aged 82.
Introduction of the Dyophysite faith to the Cathedral in the consequence of the
policy of friendship with Egypt where al-Aziz acts in favour of the Melchite
Church. Contemporary ruler: Raphael (1002-1006),

24.MERKURIOS
Melchite Bishop, "Spiritual Son" of Bishop Ioannes(III) Episcopate: 1037-1056;
d. 1July 1056, aged 80. After his episcopate a break of to years in the
chronology of Faras Bishops. Contemporary ruler unknown

25. PETROS (II)
Monophysite Bishop. Episcopite: 1058-1062;d. 22 May 1062. The Cathedral taken
over again by the Monophysites. Contemporary ruler: Salomon (?). Main events:
Growth in strength of the Monophysite Church in Nubia as a result of the visit
to Nubin of Christodulos, the Patriarch of Alexandria(1058),

26. GEORGTOS
Monophysite Bishop. Episcopite: 1062-1047; d. 14 August 1097, aged 95. Painting
in Faras reaches its climax(multi-coloured style), Centemporary rulers: Salomon
(until 1080), Georgios III and Basilios (c. 1089). Main events: Old Nubian
possibly accepted as the official language in the State and Church (?).

28. IESU (II)
Melchite (?) Bishop. Last name of the List of Bishops. Episcopate: from c,
1125-11 30 until 1170-1175; d. 4June11.. aged 88.Contemporary rulers: Georgios
IV(1130-1158) and Moise (c. 1160), Main events: War with Egypt, Qasr Ibrim
occupied by Arabs (I I 72-1 173). Battle of Adindan near
Faras (1175) when the Faras Cathedrall was damaged.

29. TAMER
Melchite (?) Bishop, tasokhon of the Church or St Michael in Faras. Episcopate:
late 12th century; d, 31 March 1193 (?).

Cathedrnl ceased to fulfil epicopal functions. After its provisory protection
against blown sand was used as a church possibly until 15th century. Close to
the CathedraI North Monastery was built in 13th (?) century. Gradual decline of
Nubinn State. Last Christian King of Nubia, Kudanbes dethroned in 1323, Hiss
Audience Hall in Old Dongoln turned into 3 mosque (1317). In Nobadia Christinn
King of Do-Tauwo attested in 15th century.